What I like about waterfalls is that they are all unique – some are tall and fall over mountains, some are wide, some have enormous amounts of water flowing and others are just a trickle. But, to get to any waterfall, you have to go on an adventure into nature and often trek through difficult terrain. Your reward for such an exploration is the magnificent waterfall at the end.
We had heard from friends that made their way to French Polynesia last year that one of the things not to be missed was the hike to the waterfall at Daniel’s Bay (Anse Hakatea) just five miles from Taiohae. So, we made a plan with our friend Dan on Kini Popo to head over for a few days and find the waterfall.
Our first challenge was getting out of the anchorage. Since misery loves company, both boats were having problems with their windlasses (for non-sailors – the electronic thingy that helps pull up the anchor). We realized our problem a couple of days after arriving in Taiohae was the connection from the handheld controller to the windlass on deck. Mike was able to bypass the connector and wire it directly so that it still works.
Dan, on the other hand, was not so lucky. His motor was completely shot and would need to be replaced. So, in order to raise anchor, he would need to pull up over 100 feet of chain and the anchor by hand. This would especially be challenging since he is single handing and the bay way quite windy. We decided that Mike would go over and help pull up Dan’s anchor first and then just swim back to the boat as Dan was leaving the anchorage. It took the two boys both heaving on that chain for a solid 10-15 minutes before they finally got the anchor up. Luckily for Mike some friends we had met earlier were in their dinghy and gave him a ride back to Adagio so he wouldn’t have to swim.
The seas were a mess when we left the anchorage and we just motored for the one hour trip to Daniel’s Bay, but we were followed by dolphins almost the whole way which is always exciting. As we entered the bay, the seas calmed down and we got our first views of the dramatic cliffs and canyon. Early the next morning, we were able to catch some good shots of a rainbow against this backdrop just as some brief showers had passed.
We were told the hike was about 12 kilometers round trip, so we got an early start beaching the dinghy in the western lobe of the bay. There are several families who live in the valley, and you have to pass through their properties to get to the trail. So, we couldn’t blame them for selling tickets for $10 (1000 CFP) to get to the waterfall. Because of its proximity to Taiohae, I’m sure they have boats visiting here year round. This is also where they shot one of the Survivor seasons (not that I’ve watched it). I feel like we keep ending up somewhere that Survivor filmed. This happened to us when we were in Panama in the Perlas also.
Anyway, after buying our ticket we stopped at the first house we came to and met a very nice Marquesan couple who offer to prepare lunch for the hikers upon their return and also sell fruit from their trees. We made arrangements with them to have lunch on our way back.
The beginning of the hike is down a road past the various properties of the families who live here, which were impeccably manicured and full of fruit trees. A bit farther down became more rustic and finally turned into a narrow trail that was reasonably marked. We had to zig zag across the river a couple of times and through several streams. There was one stretch of the trail that had so many mango trees that fermenting, rotting mangos littered the trail giving off a sweet, rancid odor. The rotting mangos also brought hordes of gnats. We also passed more archeological ruins which apparently cover the island.
At one point we stopped and got a glimpse of the waterfall across the canyon. It is incredibly high, but we could tell at this distance that there wasn’t much water flowing. We are at the end of the dry season and the rainy season hasn’t really begun yet. Other tales we had heard of this hike were of fast rushing water and muddy trails. But, the trails were dry now and we hiked over many dry creek beds. So, we were reasonably prepared for the spigot to have been mostly turned off on the waterfall.
Regardless of the lack of water, the scenery was impressive and well worth the hike. The steep canyon walls loomed over us as we entered the center of the canyon as we approached the waterfall. White tropic birds glided above us as we walked through the greenery below. We got to the pool at the end that required us to swim across in order to see the waterfall. However, even on the other side, you could only see the very bottom of the falls as the rest was obstructed from view by rock formations. There was a second pool you could swim through to get underneath the falls. But, it looked stagnant and mosquito ridden, so we opted not to do that one.
One our way to the final part of the hike into the valley, we had come across a sign that said to beware of falling rocks. This was no joke. Just as we had swum across the pool closer to the waterfall, I heard this whistling sound and then a plop behind me as a rock about the size of a baseball had fallen from several hundred feet above us and landed in the water about 20 feet away. That would have done some serious or permanent damage if it had hit us. Yikes. From then on we kept looking up while in the canyon.
Our cruising guides said that round trip the hike should be about 5 hours. About half way back on our return, we realized it had only been about 3 hours. We’re pretty fast walkers and without the muddy trails, it was not too difficult a walk. We assumed our lunch wouldn’t be ready yet, so we stopped to take in the scenery high up over the river. Of course, Mike doesn’t do well with sitting still so soon he was off the trail trying to make his way down to the river. After successfully navigating the climb down, he motioned for Dan and I to join him.
We slowly climbed over boulders and tree limbs and through the rotting mangos until we got to the river. We saw some small falls upstream and made our way through the cold water to check them out. We had some fun playing in the river cooling off for awhile and then climbed back up to the trail to make our way out.
Lunch was waiting for us when we arrived. We had green mango salad, roast pork and breadfruit with fresh squeezed juice. It was great. With our few French words and their few English words, we were able to communicate with this fun couple and their teenage son who was home from school. Apparently all the high school age kids on Nuku Hiva go to boarding school in Tahiti. The kids are currently home for Easter/Spring break. We wanted to buy some fruit, which they were willing to sell, but what they really wanted was to trade for a pair of board shorts for their son. Mike though about it and agreed to part with some shorts. When the mom heard this, she started loading us up with pamplemousse, mangos, oranges and limes. Mike made a quick trip back to the boat and returned with the shorts. The son was ecstatic. Mike says it was worth giving up the shorts (which were pretty nice) just to see how happy the kid was. I imagine it is difficult to buy and import that type of thing here.
We returned to our boats and found an Australian boat anchored in the bay that we had met in Taiohae. Dan invited us all over for sundowners on his boat that evening. It was the perfect end to a beautiful day. You never know what you’re going to find when you set off to find a waterfall.
-Katie
Great pictures
Very beautiful island